Fullmetal Alchemist: The Heart Made of Stone
by Alphonse-Elric-Lover
Summary: While traveling in the country of Riviere, the Elric brothers stumble upon a small town where they meet a young girl who goes by Mimi. They soon befriend her, and Alphonse especially grows close to her. The two even share a dance together at her town's festival, but the mood soon sours when the townspeople find out her secret.
1. Prologue

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Heart Made of Stone

Prologue

The ever persistent sun shone its harsh rays on a young man's back as he strolled down a dirt road. Sweat formed on his forehead, causing his gloved hand to wipe it away.

"Man, what a dump." He grumbled as he shuffled along, kicking up dust and small rocks as he went. He ran his fingers through his golden hair, looking ahead with intense matching eyes. He couldn't help but slouch under the intense heat. "I wanna get to town already and get something to eat." A large suit of armor walked quietly next to the young man. It looked to be made of steel and had a turquoise tint to it. A lavender loincloth was draped around its waist, projecting a shy sense of modesty. Spikes lined its shoulders and most of its joints. A horn protruded from its helmet, along with a large chin that jutted out.

"Just wait a moment, Brother. We'll be there soon, I can see the town from here." The armor lifted its heavy arm and pointed towards a small area that was lined with what looked like fruit and vegetable stands. The young man looked and soon found himself racing towards the stands while laughing crazily, caught up in his food filled fantasies. The armor sighed and continued walking normally, not bothering to chase after him. A small object glinted, catching the armor's eye. It rested under the shade of a tree, and when the armor approached the object it realized the object was a cute little barrette. It seemed abandoned, and was in the shape of a bow, with pink fabric and a hint of white lace. Though it was merely a hair accessory, the armor felt that it was more important to someone than it seemed. The armor picked up the barrette and placed it in its beige pouch it kept on its thigh. He decided to hold onto it for safe keeping in case the owner needed it.

The young man scarfed down his bowl of noodles as the armor returned to him. He looked up from his bowl, eyebrow quirking. The armor rubbed the back of its helmet sheepishly, making the young man set down his bowl next to a wobbling stack of empty bowls just like the other. A young girl walked up to the counter and gaped at the porcelain tower, nearly dropping yet another bowl that was to be delivered to him. Her chocolate brown hair cascaded down to her back, her bangs spiky but sideswept in an attempt to look presentable. She wore a pink sundress coupled with a pair of slightly worn sandals that her toes peeked out from. Her dark brown eyes seemed distant, as if caught up in a daydream. She soon snapped back to reality, breathing deeply, and picked up the towering set of bowls, her skinny arms trembling under the weight. She slowly made her way to the shop's sink but slipped, the bowls all toppling to the ground and shattering. A yell could be heard from the back of the shop, making her flinch.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! I'll clean it up right away!" A gruff man shuffled towards her.

"You better! It's coming out of your paycheck, Thompson!" He shouted angrily, a vein popping out from the side of his head. "Good for nothing-" He growled and silenced himself. In a fit of frustration he stomped out of the shop, leaving the girl rubbing the back of her head that had previously been hit by the bottom of a stray bowl. The two companions exchanged looks. The girl looked back at them and strained a smile.

"Sorry about that, I guess I'm pretty clumsy." She began picking up the broken remnants of the bowls, lightly cutting her fingers as she did against the porcelain. The armor rushed over to her and knelt down.

"Here, let me help." It offered as it joined her to gather the shards. The girl looked at its stoic expression it wore on its helmet almost surprised, but soon smiled gratefully when they had finished picking up the pieces.

"Thank you." She stood normally and bowed politely. The armor threw away the pieces and stiffened slightly in surprise.

"O-Oh!" It exclaimed as it bowed back. "You're welcome! I'm Alphonse, and this is my brother Edward." The armor pointed at himself and then at his brother, who greeted her by slurping up his noodles. The girl tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear shyly.

"It's very nice to meet you, Alphonse. Edward. I'm Mimi." She smiled broadly, seemingly now unaffected by the man's previous outburst. "Are you guys new here?"

"Just passing by." Edward said as he sipped up the last of his noodles. Mimi rinsed off her hands in the sink.

"That's a shame, I really hope you guys can stay for the festival tonight! It's only in the spring time, so you all came at the right time!" She boasted gleefully. Alphonse turned to Edward excitedly.

"Can we, Brother? It sounds like so much fun!" Edward groaned slightly.

"Al, you know we're on a tight schedule." He grumbled making Alphonse lower his hands.

"That didn't stop you from taking a break to eat as much as a normal person would in a year." Alphonse countered, making Edward's face flush red in embarrassment.

"That's not the point!" He stammered.

"You're right, it's not. The point is that we're staying! At least for tonight." Alphonse said cheerfully making Mimi light up.

"Awesome! I can't wait, I'll show you two around town in the meantime! It doesn't look like much at first glance, but it's the hidden gem of the West!" She clasped her hands together and beamed. "My shift here ends around now, so why not start the fun?" She grinned widely making Edward raise his eyebrow skeptically.

"I dunno about this, Al." He whispered to his brother.

"Come on, Brother! Loosen up, it's just a tour." Mimi hung her cream colored apron on a hook that rested on the wall, fixing her hair and exiting from the behind the counter. She had a surprisingly petite frame, but was still significantly taller than Edward, who had an extremely small stature but refused to admit it. However, compared to Alphonse who was nearly seven feet tall, she was somewhere in the middle of the brother's significant height difference.

"Ready to go?" She inquired, making the companions nod. They then embarked on a journey throughout the small town that was a part of the county of Riviere. Each small shack had a name and a story according to Mimi, and managed to fascinate both Alphonse and miraculously Edward, who normally would be heavily set on his next destination. As the sky became colored by red and purple streaks etched into the sky, the trio found themselves in front of the farmer's market that they stumbled upon each other in. The normally bland stands were lit up and far more festive than before. The townspeople had cleaned themselves up and were now mingling, laughing, and dancing in the small plaza of the town. Edward's eyes filled with sheer delight as he grinned from ear to ear. Alphonse knew what he was going to do and let him bolt away, feeling sorry for the people that have to attempt to fill his seemingly infinite stomach. Mimi stared at the circle of dancing townsfolk longingly, clenching her fist slightly. She then brightened slightly and took Alphonse's hand, much to his surprise.

"W-What?" Alphonse stammered as she ran into the circle with him. "I can't dance!" He squeaked, his voice cracking nervously. Mimi giggled and took his other hand to dance with him.

"Neither can I!" She said cheerfully. Her subsequent laughter was contagious, and Alphonse soon found himself dancing with the energetic young girl, even twirling her every so often making her sundress swirl around her hips. A couple people clapped to the lively tune of the song that was being played, a sense of community emanating from everyone. Mimi stepped on Alphonse's feet, and Alphonse stumbled numerous times but neither of them minded. A faint amount of pink graced Mimi's cheeks as the night continued on, her life now becoming a little less lonely than before. When the lights eventually died down, Edward returned to them, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Ready to go?" Edward asked, still holding a couple morsels of food he bought. Alphonse twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"Brother, can we stay for the night?" He asked shyly, surprising Mimi a little. Edward shook his head almost instantly.

"Al, we're already behind schedule. We can't stay any longer, let's go." Alphonse looked down and reluctantly began to head towards the entrance of the town. Mimi stood frozen, trying to comprehend losing her friend. Her eyes welled up with tears as she ran to his retreating back and took his hand like before.

"Please! Don't go, you're my only friend!" She begged, trying to blink back her tears. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without you!" Her voice wavered making Alphonse grow remorseful. Edward stepped towards her, his eyes unyielding.

"We're leaving. I'm sorry, but that's just how it has to be." Mimi's heart sank as she attempted to wipe her eyes. She slowly nodded, though she yearned for them to stay.

"At least let me walk you two to the gate." She said, now more distant than before. Edward looked at his brother, then complied. Though no one said a word to each other as they walked, the three were all questioning what was going to happen next. Mimi stood at the town's gates, crestfallen beyond belief. Though they hadn't known each other for long, Alphonse sensed a bond forming between them. Edward waved goodbye, and Alphonse forced himself to follow his brother as the two began walking away, clenching the barrette in his pouch tightly.

"What the hell is this?!" They heard a man shout from where Mimi was. Alphonse looked back to see a muscular man holding a piece of paper in front of Mimi. When he saw the fearful expression on her face, Alphonse knew something was wrong and stopped walking. More people eventually joined the man, and formed a crowd around her.

"It looks like alchemy!" A woman gasped, covering her child's eyes.

"I should have known! Following in her father's wicked footsteps!" A man snarled.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" Mimi held up her hands defenselessly, only causing the clamor to rise.

"She's going to kill us all! She's betrayed God and now she's going to betray us, after all we've done to help her!" A woman shouted, pointing at her as if she was an animal. The crowd began to pick up stones, moving inward towards her, and tore her apart to look for more papers and books that she would be carrying. Alphonse quickly stepped towards her, but soon Mimi's scream could be heard from inside the circle of people, the ground beginning to tremble. Red lightning sparked from inside the circle as the ground contorted, earthen pillars shooting up from it. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving Mimi sitting on her knees in the crater she left in the earth. She looked down at the ground, staring at her shaking hands.

"I'm a monster…" She whispered to herself fearfully. Edward stepped towards her.

"No you're not. You're an alchemist." He said, not letting himself show any surprise of her power. Mimi looked at him, her eyes still wide. Alphonse ran towards her and knelt down beside her.

"You're hurt…" He spoke to her gently, scanning her now injured body. Scrapes and bruises lined her body due to the previous beating, and the back of her head bled heavily. Her sundress was now dirty and tattered, a strap hanging over her shoulder loosely. Alphonse sifted through his pouch and took out some bandages. Mimi winced slightly as he began wrapping them around her head gingerly.

"I didn't mean to hurt them, I was just-" Edward cut her off.

"We saw everything, don't worry. This place isn't safe for you anymore. Once Al patches you up…" Edward sighed and crossed his arms. "We'll take you with us." He mumbled. Mimi's eyes widened slightly.

"Really?" She asked almost inaudibly, everything feeling surreal to her.

"Of course! Those people will come after you again if you stay. Besides, we're alchemists too!" Alphonse piped up cheerfully, cutting off the last of her bandages. "There, that should help stop the bleeding." He placed his remaining bandages in his pouch, then found the barrette from before and paused.

"Thank you, I don't know how I'm gonna repay you guys." Mimi said sincerely with a hint of sheepishness. She rubbed the back of her head then winced, momentarily forgetting about her injuries. Edward folded his hands behind his head and began sauntering away.

"Don't worry about it, we'll figure something out." He said, halfway through a yawn. Alphonse sighed, then remembered the barrette.

"I found this earlier today…is it yours?" He took out the barrette and showed it to her, making her eyes light up.

"Yes! Where'd you find it?! I've been looking everywhere for it!" She soon went silent as Alphonse brushed her bangs out of her eyes and clipped it into her hair gently.

"I found it by a tree, I thought it would look pretty on you…" He answered, twiddling his thumbs timidly. Mimi suppressed her inner blush and smiled shyly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"Well thank you, it seems like my debt to you only gets bigger." She said, a sheepish grin forming. Alphonse laughed and rubbed the back of his helmet.

"No problem, it's what friends are for right?" Mimi smiled slightly at him, something she hadn't done in a long time.

"Yeah." Her eyes gained a new sense of content as she sat with him, looking at the empty farmer's market. "Alphonse felt at peace for once with his new friend, her presence surprisingly warm and calming despite how she's been treated.

"So, how long have you studied alchemy?" Alphonse asked, his eyes fixed on the pile of Mimi's burned pages of notes. Mimi scratched her cheek with her finger, trying to think.

"Well, I haven't studied for long. I know that much. So I'm not very good at it, but I've memorized the transmutation circles from my dad's books!" She smiled proudly making Alphonse laugh.

"I see, at least you have some experience then. I guess your notes won't be of use to you anymore. I'd transmute them back to normal, but they're too damaged." He said, a twinge of guilt present in his voice.

"So you're an alchemist too, like your brother." Mimi observed. Alphonse nodded.

"We're the Elric Brothers." He began, but quickly silenced himself when he saw a certain piece of paper. It had a diagram of what appeared to be a stone sharing a distinct name with what the two brothers were looking for. The paper soon disintegrated and became a pile of ashes, which was soon swept away by the breeze.

"Are you okay?" Mimi asked worriedly, only to be answered by a simple yet distant nod from Alphonse. She eventually looked up at the stars, her future unknown to her.


	2. Chapter One: Those Who Challenge the Sun

Chapter One: Those Who Challenge the Sun

Beakers filled with various and vibrant colored liquids littered a room, the sound of chalk lightly tapping concrete ringing through it. A little boy, his blonde hair cut short and his bangs reaching his cheeks focused on his work as he drew symbols that have long since died out, and perfect circles with finesse only accumulated by a professional. Slightly tattered pieces of paper were hung up on the walls amongst the room, along with even a few suits of armor which stood perfectly still on the stands that kept them upright lifelessly. The boy's tapping drew to a close, and his gaze fell upon another boy, who appeared slightly younger than him. He had short brunette hair parted neatly to the side, his eyes and most of his body hidden by the shadows of the dimly lit room. From what he could see, the boy's eyes were slightly wide.

"That oughta do it. You ready?" The boy with blonde hair asked the other boy. His familiar golden eyes pierced the other boy's, as if reassuring him that everything would be just fine. He smirked slightly as he talked, highly confident in his abilities. The boy merely nodded, his innocence still readable even though he was slightly hidden. "Don't be scared, Al." Edward said as he turned towards the transmutation circle that lay before him and his brother. "Everything's perfect."

Drops of rain began to pit against the ground outside, slowly forming into a slight storm. The white house the Elric Brothers resided in was illuminated every so often by the almost silent lightning. The fierce winds howled outside, making the trees give way and lean to the side. Light was but a phantom as the dark storm clouds bombarded the sky. Edward looked over once more at Alphonse, his eyes ablaze with passion.

"Let's go for it." He said to a not so confident Alphonse, who quietly nodded once more. The two boys placed their hands on the transmutation circle, Alphonse following a little after Edward. A luminescent golden light washed over the room, creating a beautiful scene for the brothers to enjoy together. Lightning sparked from the circle, a small twister forming from the pile of what looked like dust that resided in the middle of the circle, which soon was enveloped by the gorgeous golden light that swirled within it. Edward grinned at the light proudly, while Alphonse stared at it happily and in awe, no longer fearful.

"Alchemy. The science of understanding the structure of matter. Breaking it down, then reconstructing it as something else. It can even make gold from lead. But alchemy is a science, so it must follow the natural laws. To create, something of equal value must be lost. This is the principle of Equivalent Exchange." The golden light grew to a dark purple, causing Edward's grin to quickly fade as he looked around nervously. "But on that night, I learned that the value of somethings can't be measured on a simple scale." An ear wrenching scream rang through the land, causing a little girl to run out of her house worriedly.

"That was Edward!" She cried, her eyes filled with concern. A short, elderly woman soon followed her outside in the now pouring rain. The door, since it was now open, let a large black dog run outside.

"Wait, Winry!" The woman grabbed the little girl's hand. "Look!" The dog's barks echoed slightly through the rain.

"My brother and I knew the laws of science. Of Equivalent Exchange." The white house the brothers were in now glowed eerily. "That gain required sacrifice. That something had to be taken from us." The bright purple glow of the house caught the attention of a young man in rain garb, his black eyes staring at the house with a mix of concern and doubt. "But we thought there was nothing more we could lose." The light faded, leaving the house appearing to be normal. "We were wrong."

The room Edward and Alphonse were in was now filled with thick smoke. Edward whimpered slightly in pain but tried desperately to keep himself together, even though something felt terribly wrong. Lightning crackled inside every now and then, nothing visible to the poor boy.

"Al…" He struggled to say. "Alphonse, say something!" Alphonse's clothes lay in a crater where he was just sitting, causing Edward to panic. "No! Stay with me!" He exclaimed, fear now evident in his voice. "Dammit!" He yelled, almost angry with himself. "This wasn't supposed to-" He winced. Pain shot up his leg, earning a shrill cry of pain from Edward. His left leg was now gone, replaced by a mere thigh covered in his own blood. "Wh-What have I done?" He asked himself, his voice wavering. He grunted and clenched his jaw, as the pain only worsened. "He's gone…" He murmured, on the verge of tears. He looked up as the smoke around the pile of dust cleared, the whole purpose of this experiment. He looked ahead almost hopefully, that the object he was trying to create was so important that it could even compensate for his brother. A fair skinned hand raised, and fell back down limply. Edward's face lit up. "Mom…" He whispered shakily. As the smoke cleared, his smile quickly left him, and was instead replaced with a look of confusion. "Is that you?" He called out as a figure lay in the circle. It was a repulsive mass of flesh. It's heart barely beat, it's chest pulsating every so often, it's muscles exposed. Edward's eyes widened in horror as the body of his mother looked at him, her skin barely attached to her skull. She possessed eye sockets that glowed with the same light as the house, her dark brown hair falling just ahead of her. She gasped and wheezed for air quietly as she gazed at him blankly, and soon a shrill wail echoed through the house.

"I hate deserts." Edward mumbled as he trudged through a vast land filled with mountains of sand. He groaned as beads of sweat dripped down his face. "It's nothing but sand!" He collapsed on the sand in front of him, letting go of his big brown suitcase. "If there was some grass, I could turn it into bread! I'm starving!" Mimi walked up to him cheerfully and squatted next to him.

"C'mon, Ed! Lighten up!" She beamed. "We're getting closer to…" Her smile faltered slightly as she rubbed her chin cutely, thinking deeply. "Whatever the heck you guys are trying to find…" Edward groaned more.

"It wouldn't hurt to be in a place full of food and water!" He said grumpily.

"You won't get anywhere thinking like that, silly! You've gotta think of the good things! Al could tell you!" She said happily. "Speaking of which, where is Al?" After a moment of silence, Edward looked up.

"Hey, Al? Where'd you go?!" He propped himself up on his hands and looked around from side to side. "Al?! Hey!" He called out.

"Down here!" He heard a quiet voice exclaim. A familiar glove like hand reached up from the ground and grasped Edward's ankle suddenly, causing him to scream. "I sunk again…" Alphonse said disappointedly. Edward looked back at his ankle while scowling slightly.

"Reason number two I hate the desert." He grumbled. Mimi couldn't help but giggle.

Mimi stood turned away from them, her hands covering her eyes as Edward removed the sand from Alphonse's armor. Alphonse had told her that he only let his brother see what he looked like, which was unfortunately a lie. Mimi obeyed unquestioningly, still grateful to them that they brought her along.

"Can I look yet?" She asked after a while.

"Yeah, you can look now." Alphonse said shyly. Mimi turned around and removed her hands from her eyes. A mountain of sand stood next to Alphonse as Edward sat wearily on the ground next to him, panting.

"I don't understand why you keep falling in!" He yelled at Alphonse, obviously tired and annoyed.

"I get full!" Alphonse said innocently.

"Full of what?!" Edward swung his foot into Alphonse's chestplate, causing it to fly off along with more sand to pour out of him and onto Edward. Mimi tried desperately to withhold her laughter, along with Alphonse. Alphonse shuffled away, knowing fully well what might happen next. His prediction was true, as Edward leaped up from the sand and began chasing him. Mimi watched them and smiled slightly, her demeanor growing distant. The two brothers bickered back and forth.

"Get back here!" Edward shouted.

"What're you gonna do?!" Alphonse asked worriedly.

"Nothing!" Edward was obviously lying.

"Then why are you chasing me?!" Alphonse countered, seeing right through him easily.

"Stop and you'll find out!" Edward waved his fist as he ran after his brother.

"I promise I won't get buried again!" Alphonse begged.

"Not unless it's by me!" Edward threatened.

"Ed!" Alphonse exclaimed. For a brief moment, Mimi pictured herself and a girl that looked to be eighteen doing the same thing the Elric brothers were doing. The girl had caramel colored hair with matching eyes, her skin fair. She wore a scowl on her face, but still managed to look beautiful no matter what. Mimi soon snapped back to reality, however, when she noticed the two boys were getting further away from her. She reverted back to her normal self and chased after them.

The town they arrived in wasn't something Mimi expected. It looked like a miniature city, a couple people bustling about here and there through the alley ways. Towering statues seemed to dominate every corner of the town, as if watching over its citizens. She even spotted a couple people listening to their vintage radios with their windows open as they knitted or sipped their tea. She smiled slightly. This place seemed nice to her. Then again, anything was better than back where she came from. Edward trudged along next to Alphonse, wearing an enraged look so fierce that the trio began to receive looks of uncertainty from the townsfolk. Mimi laughed nervously and waved at the townspeople while Alphonse leaned over to Edward.

"You okay, Brother?" He asked quietly.

"It's your fault for not stopping when I said." He grumbled loudly, arms swinging back and forth limply.

"You wouldn't stop either if someone was chasing you!" Alphonse said, as if pouting behind his armor.

"Shut up…I'm too tired to fight." He said, obviously exhausted from his running. Mimi wondered why Alphonse wasn't nearly as out of breath. She was shocked to realize that he hadn't been out of breath at all, even right after he ran for so long. She decided to keep quiet for now. Edward's face was now even more sweaty. "Water…I can almost hear it…" He said weakly. He stopped and his eyes snapped to attention. He ran ahead and looked down an alley hopefully. "Wait a second, I can hear it!" He exclaimed. A large stone fountain resided in the center of the town, the sunlight glinting off the pristine water that flowed from it beautifully. Tiny mugs hung from the sides on hooks, indicating that it was free to the public. Mimi's eyes lit up. She needed a drink more than anything right now. "Al! Look!" Edward said, a sense of happiness in his voice that was very strange for him. He laughed, his sanity questionable, and bolted toward the fountain.

"Ed! Wait!" Alphonse pleaded. Mimi's feet slammed onto the ground heavily, nearly trampling Edward. He screamed and leaped out of the way just in time, cursing at her loudly and waving his fist. Mimi didn't care, however, and reached the fountain in seconds. She leaned over with a grin, which soon faltered into a pout. She scooped up some of the water and held it up, soon followed by Edward. He flailed his arms happily as he ran towards the water, and leaped up into the air as if ready to dive in. Mimi stopped him, making him catch himself on the side of the fountain. He looked at her, irritated, then looked down at the water and pouted as well.

"Guess this explains the nasty stench in the air." He said childishly, still wearing his cute pout. Alphonse eventually reached them, in no hurry at all which made Mimi curious. Wasn't he thirsty too?

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked. He looked into the water, then at Mimi's cup. "Is it blood?" He asked.

"Nope. More like blood red wine." Edward said sheepishly. His hood was soon lifted, along with him, off the ground. A tall, skinny man with tanned skin scowled at him and Mimi slightly.

"Hey, get away from there! You know that's off-limits to kids!" He roared, receiving a glare from Edward.

The man chuckled as he wiped a glass off with a rag, his bushy mustache bouncing slightly as he spoke.

"So you're out of towners, huh? That explains it! You'll have to forgive me. I thought you were trying to sneak a little sip!" He laughed. Mimi giggled as a group of giggling small children scampered by.

"Fountain stuck with free wine? That's pretty ritzy. This town must be loaded!" Edward observed as he sat across the counter from the man. He sipped his drink as the man replied.

"Yeah, we do all right here." The man said modestly. He lit up slightly. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He reached up and pushed a switch hanging above him, causing a small radio to begin playing calming music. "Time for a little soul food." The music was calm and tranquil, leaving Mimi almost in a trance. She snapped back to reality, however, and looked behind her to see nearly everyone in the town turning on their radios as well. Edward soon did the same, along with Alphonse. Everyone in the town was now silent and appearing to be praying, including students in schools. A low, powerful voice began to preach, making Edward's open mouth shut in confusion. Mimi's brows furrowed slightly.

"Well that's freakish." Edward stated bluntly, turning back to the bar.

"Some kind of religious broadcast." Alphonse noticed, turning back as well. Mimi pursed her lips in curiosity. The man broke away from his prayer and frowned at them in an irritated manner.

"I never really was the religious type." Mimi couldn't help but look at the now silent town.

"Your buddy's in a suit of armor and you're wearing gloves in the desert and you call us freaks?" He protested. Edward continued to sip his drink carelessly, his eyes closed. The man peered at the strange trio, first at Edward who barely noticed he was there. Alphonse looked at the man back, his armor unable to convey expressions. Mimi waved with a wide smile, not knowing what the man was looking at them for. The man paused. "What's your deal anyway, are you three street performers?" Edward's eyes snapped open as he spat back into his drink, causing it to fly everywhere.

"I don't think so, pops! Do I look like a clown to you?" Edward said sharply, his expression annoyed.

"Well you must have some reason to journey out this far." The man countered, his hands on his hips.

"We're just trying to track something down, that's all." Edward said coolly. "Now who is this guy? On your airwaves?" He asked.

"Why that's Sir Cornello." The man stated matter of factly. Edward rested his chin on the counter.

"Huh, doesn't ring a bell." He said plainly.

"You're kidding me, you've never heard of the great prophet Cornello?!" The man shouted in disbelief so suddenly that Mimi nearly fell out of her stool. Edward, unaffected, looked at the man with an eyebrow raised.

"What's great about him?" He asked nonchalantly.

"He can perform miracles for one thing, I've never seen anything like it!" A stranger next to them chimed in.

"This town was a God forsaken dust bowl before Cornello got here and transformed it into a desert paradise!" Another man piped up. Edward soon regretted asking his question as more and more people gathered around.

"Cornello can even forgive sins!"

"Yeah! We're on the sun god's good side because of him!"

"He gives us blessings!"

"Ugh, I just remembered." Edward groaned as he covered his ears wearily. "We have to be somewhere." He sat up normally and grinned at Alphonse and Mimi sheepishly. "You two ready to split?" They both nodded and stood up. Alphonse's helmet bumped the ceiling of the bar, causing the radio to fall off the roof and shatter on the ground. The man gasped.

"Oops." Alphonse said innocently. Mimi stifled a giggle.

"Now you've done it, buddy! What do you expect, wearing a stupid tin suit?" Mimi's eyebrow twitched as her eyes quickly darted over to the man.

"What did you say?" She muttered menacingly.

"You wanna start something, kid?" The man leaned over the counter slightly, making Mimi quickly pivot toward him. Alphonse caught her, however, and grabbed her arm just in time. Mimi blushed uncontrollably and froze, the hair on the back of her neck stiffening.

"It's okay, he didn't mean it." Alphonse said happily. "I suppose my armor does look a bit silly." Mimi tried desperately to remain calm but only flustered herself more.

"But your armor is amazing! It's, like, the most fascinating thing ever!" She blurted. Her hand soon covered her mouth, embarrassed of her inadvertent gushing. Alphonse counted himself as one of the lucky ones. With his armor, she couldn't tell that he was blushing himself. Edward groaned impatiently.

"Don't bust a lung, grandpa, we can fix it!" Edward raised up his gloved hand in an attempt to calm everyone down. The man shifted his attention from Mimi to Edward.

"It's in a thousand pieces!" The man yelled. Alphonse bowed sincerely.

"I'm sorry." He turned to the broken radio. "Let me try." Edward nodded.

Alphonse's hand slowly glided his white chalk across the ground as he drew a small transmutation circle just big enough to fit the radio inside.

"The drawing. What's it for?" The man grumbled impatiently.

"You'll see in just a second." Edward reassured him. Alphonse stood normally, now finished. "It's called a transmutation circle." He explained.

"Okay, here goes." Alphonse placed his hands on top of each other, directly above the transmutation circle. Mimi watched in awe as blue lightning sparked from his open palms, landing on the radio causing it to become immersed in smoke.

"He did all that in a blink of an eye…" She murmured to herself, though she had seen alchemy before it felt different when she watched Alphonse perform it. The pink returned to her cheeks once more. As the white smoke dispelled, it revealed a completely fixed radio that echoed the religious preaching. Everyone gasped in awe, while Edward smiled proudly and Mimi clapped joyfully for Alphonse. She looked over and saw a hooded figure next to her, who she eyed skeptically.

"It's really a land of prophets! Your buddy can work miracles like Cornello!" The man exclaimed, his mouth agape.

"It's nothing like that." Edward explained sheepishly. Alphonse walked over with the radio, his armor clanking.

"It's science. We're alchemists." He explained.

"We're the Elric brothers. Not to brag or anything, but we're pretty well known." Edward said, his smug tone now evident. He pointed to Mimi. "That's our…accomplice, I guess." He mumbled. Mimi pouted slightly. The townspeople murmured amongst themselves.

"Elrics? Not familiar."

"We don't have any alchemists in these parts."

"I fix things for a living though, let me know if you need a job!"

"He doesn't need any work, he's Edward Elric: The Fullmetal Alchemist." The hooded figure spoke up, her voice like velvet. Mimi looked over at her now partly visible face and saw a couple waves of silky, black hair frame her porcelain face. Her full lips had dark purple lipstick on them, her eyes like that of a serpent's with a lighter purple hue. She had a distinct yet somehow familiar smirk that puzzled Mimi, as she couldn't quite put her finger on where she had seen it from. The woman raised a gloved hand to her chin and continued. "He's been a celebrity around East City." Edward looked at her and blinked in bewilderment. "They say he's a real child prodigy." Edward broke out into a smug grin, but his ego was quickly deflated as people crowded around Alphonse.

"Wow, a real live famous person!"

"I see! You got that name because you wear that armor!" A townsperson patted Alphonse's chest plate.

"Hey, would you come to my daughter's birthday party?" Alphonse held up his hands sheepishly.

"Uh, I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist, he is!" The townspeople looked over at Edward.

"You mean that little shorty there?" Edward snapped and grabbed some of the people and spun around with them flying through the air.

"Shorty?! Could a shorty do this?! What else do ya wanna call me, a half pint beansprout midget?! I'm still growing', you backwater desert idiots!" Edward shouted as he spinned them, earning shouts and groans of pain from the two people. A young woman walked up holding a paper bag full of groceries.

"I see there's plenty of excitement around here today." She said kindly. Mimi looked over at her curiously.

"Ah, Rose!" The man exclaimed. Rose looked to be slightly older than her, her ebony skin complimenting her pink chin-length bangs similar to Edward's. The rest of her hair was dark brown, her eyes purple like the woman's lipstick. She wore a small but cute smile, along with a dress similar to Mimi's albeit from Mimi's dress being much dirtier and a dusty shade of pink.

"Don't mind me, I'm not here to spoil all the fun." She said benevolently. Edward and Alphonse stopped what they were doing.

"That's okay." Alphonse said as he bowed politely. "I'm Alphonse Elric! Nice to meet you!" He said sweetly. Edward flung the two men he held in a chokehold aside and pointed at himself with his thumb.

"And I'm Edward, Al's older brother." He said with a smug smile. "Also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Older brother? But shouldn't it be the other way around?" The young woman inquired, making Edward nearly bust a lung. He growled as Alphonse calmed him down. The man at the bar chuckled at them, then turned to Mimi.

"What about you, kid? You never introduced yourself." Mimi grinned and stood up. She sweeped a bow and flung her long hair down with her.

"I'm Mimi! A friend of the Elric brothers!" She said proudly as she stood back up. Edward looked over at her, unamused making her smile melt into a scowl. "Well…friends with one of them." She grumbled. The man laughed and turned to Rose.

"Hey Rose, have you finished your shopping for today's offering?" The man asked.

"Yeah." She responded.

"Well, then maybe you could take them to the temple with you. They say they're looking for something. I bet Father Cornello could help out. You know, have them ask for God's grace." The man turned to Rose and smiled. Mimi grimaced slightly, as she was raised on science rather than religion. Alphonse waved his hands slightly as if to decline the offer, while Edward rubbed his chin with his finger.

"Uh, that's okay. We don't really-" Alphonse started.

"It's alright it you don't have an offering today, and besides he has rooms for travelers. You could stay there for tonight!" Rose said with a smile. Edward continued to rub his chin.

"Thanks, but-" Alphonse was cut off once again, this time by Edward.

"As a matter of fact, we'd love to take you up on that! Wouldn't we, Al?" Edward turned to his brother, his finger now lifted from his chin. Alphonse looked at him, puzzled.

"We would?" He asked, genuinely surprised. "You mean you want to?" Alphonse inquired, receiving a nod from his brother. The group began to walk toward the temple the townspeople spoke of together, the man at the bar watching them go contently.

"It sure is nice to see a smile on Rose's face." Someone said.

"Yeah, she's beginning to act like her old self again." The man said happily. "Her heart must be healing at last." The hooded figure paused, then stood up and left.

Rose was ahead of the group as they walked, as she was the only one who knew where she was going. Mimi walked beside Alphonse shyly, thinking back to before and wondering why she felt so happy and different around him all the time. Edward looked over at Alphonse and whispered his name, causing him to lean down slightly.

"Remember that woman at the shop? She knew me, have we met before?" Edward asked curiously, evident that he had been wondering this for a while.

"No, I don't think so." Alphonse answered.

"She felt familiar to me, but I can't remember where I saw her from." Mimi whispered to them, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess I hit my head too hard."

"You shouldn't worry!" Rose piped up, catching the attention of all three of them. "I'm sure Cornello will help you find what you're looking for!" She said kindly, making Edward smile slightly. "And besides, if you show him you're faithful I bet he could make you taller!" She said playfully, making Edward's smile quickly turn into a scowl. He chased after her, waving his fist.

"What's wrong with you people?! I'm not short, you come from a desert tribe of giants or something!" Alphonse and Mimi ran after Edward, attempting to calm him down.

"Edward, please!" Begged Alphonse.

"You want some of this too?!" Threatened Edward. Mimi sighed and shook her head as she chased after him.

A large, older man sat in a sun-filled room in front of what seemed to be a speaker of some sort. He had a book open in front of him, and appeared to be reading from it. His voice was that of the one heard earlier on the radio, his preaching equally as strong as it was before.

"Serve in true faith and all thy prayers shall be answered. As a man opens blinds to let the light flood in, open thy heart and let the sun god shine on you." He said, his voice brimming with hope and comfort. When he finished speaking, he pressed the off button on a switch near him. A couple of men in religious garb approached him, offering him water and even a towel.

"Choice words as always, your holiness."

"Yes, Father. We'd be lost without you." The man closed his book that lay next to him, his red stone on his ring glinting in the sunlight. He seemed to lack a neck, but it somehow suited him. His mouth had many wrinkles around it from his many years of smiling, and his eyes were perpetually closed but in a friendly nature. His head was bald, and he donned black robes with a white scarf over his shoulders. His door opened, revealing a shy Rose.

"Father Cornello?" She asked meekly. The man greeted her with a warm smile.

"Ah! Rose!" He exclaimed kindly as he stood up from his chair.

"Pardon me, Cray, may I put some travellers in the Pilgrim's Quarters?" Rose inquired, her hands held up to her chest slightly in a hopeful manner. Cornello, his smile never faltering, nodded with a slight chuckle.

"You really delight in helping others solve their troubles, don't you?" He asked proudly.

"Well that's what you teach us, Father Cornello, so that's what I do." Rose replied eagerly. She paused and looked down, her smile turning forlorn. "Or, try to." Her voice quieted slightly. She soon felt Cornello's hands on her shoulders, making her look up in surprise.

"And God sees those good deeds and writes them all down in stone. But you must be patient, Rose, we need a little more time to grant the miracle you seek." He reassured her. Rose grew distant, as if deep in thought.

"Yes." She managed to say after a long pause.

Edward looked outside of a window from the room the two brothers stayed in, watching intently as Rose stood before a grave.

"We spoke to Rose." Alphonse said solemnly as he walked inside with Mimi. "That grave belongs to her boyfriend. He was all she had. Her parents died when she was a little girl. She's convinced that Cornello can bring him back to life." Mimi's gaze grew crestfallen. Edward looked back at his brother, then out the window.

"And he's leading her on in thinking he can do it." Edward said, his voice tense.

"Well maybe he can." Alphonse suggested. Out of the corner of Mimi's eye, she could see Edward's eyes widen slightly. He turned to look back at Alphonse once more. "What if Cornello really is a holy man?" He paused. "Those scriptures…maybe there really is something else out there. Something _we _can't explain." He looked at Edward, as if challenging him. Edward responded with a scowl. He looked out the window with Mimi.

"Don't count on it." He said bitterly. He was surprised to see that Rose was now joined by Cray and Cornello outside. Cray looked back at them almost menacingly, as if knowing something they didn't. Mimi pondered Alphonse's statements, wondering if maybe religion really was an effective alternative to alchemy.

Cornello stood in the front of the large marble building he resided in, holding a glass of what appeared to be ash out to a vast crowd of cheering townspeople. His red stone on his ring glowed and sparked lightning, turning the ash into red wine. The crowd roared in applause as the smoke billowed from the glass. He then placed his hands on a wooden log, making it shift into a statue of some type of mystical religious figure. He emerged from behind the statue and waved to the crowd proudly. Edward stood quite some distance away from him on his suitcase, his finger on his chin. Alphonse's armor was more than tall enough to see over the people, which amazed Mimi as she struggled to see herself.

"What do you think?" Edward asked.

"Well, it looks pretty obvious." Alphonse said, slightly disappointed. "He's using alchemy."

"Yeah but still, something's wrong…" Edward's unease was apparent as he stared at Cornello from afar. "It's not equal-" He was soon cut off by Rose, who approached them happily.

"Hey guys!" She walked in front of them and watched Cornello. "How are you liking your first miracle gathering? He's amazing, isn't he?" She said, her eyes glinting with admiration.

"Well he's an amazing actor, I'll give him that." Edward stated. "But those aren't miracles, he's swindling you." Rose gave him an exasperated look, making Alphonse hold up his hands in protest.

"Now Ed, we don't know that!" Alphonse said fairly. "We just know he's using alchemy, and he's ignoring the laws."

"What laws?" Rose asked, clearly annoyed making Mimi scowl slightly at her tone. Edward hopped off of his suitcase and strolled forward a few steps, getting a better look at the priest.

"This isn't witchcraft, it's a science. You don't make things out of thin air. In chemistry, a reaction has to be balanced. So does alchemy." He stated, his eyes never leaving Cornello. Rose blinked and huffed slightly, making Alphonse lean down.

"It's an equation, Rose." He explained. "Your output has to be equal to the mass and materials you started with. The base elements have to be similar, too. Like the radio I fixed. I couldn't make it bigger, or free or something."

"It's our founding principle: to obtain, something of equal value must be lost." Edward's voice quieted slightly. "But that holy bastard's totally disregarding the law." Rose grew outraged.

"Because he's working miracles!" She shouted at Edward's back. A little girl now stood before Cornello, offering him a bird that had passed away. Cornello placed his hands over the little girl's, making red lightning with a pink tint spark from them. The little girl gasped as the priest lifted his hands, revealing a resurrected bird that leaped into the air and flew around in circles. The audience cheered loudly, making Rose calm down and Edward smirk.

"What do you say now, Ed? I'll bet you can't do _that_ with alchemy." She said almost smugly, believing her point to be proven. Her eyes grew glossy with tears. "It's a true miracle." She murmured sincerely. "It has to be." Cornello waved to the enthusiastic audience, the green bird from before now perched on his shoulder.

"Edward Elric?" Cray asked, now back in the sun filled room with Cornello.

"Yes Cray, word has it that he was certified as a State Alchemist when he was only twelve years old. They call him the Fullmetal Alchemist." Cornello replied as he stared at his entwined fingers, making Cray's face contort into a look of uncertainty and almost anguish.

"You're sure it's him, Father?" Cray asked, sweat starting to form on his forehead.

"I'm afraid so." Cornello affirmed, making Cray sigh. "The military they represent must have seen our paradise and wish to intervene. They are greedy, evil souls. We must save my children from them!" He paused, then looked up at Cray. "Understand?" He grew slightly more intimidating, as if now assigning a mission. Cray hesitated before answering slowly.

"I will carry out the will of God." He bowed his head, closing his eyes solemnly in the process.

"Your heavenly reward will be great, my dear Cray." Cornello said evenly. The hooded figure from before stood in the same room with the two, her body disguised by the heavy sunlight.

"The boy's presence troubles me." She said, her hand on her hip. "I don't like it." Her voice lost its sense of sensuality and grew sharp.

"Don't you worry. Even if Cray should fail, there is one other way." Cornello now stood in the shadows across the room from her, his kind face now tainted by a dark smirk.

A large stone statue of a god like figure identical to the statues scattered across the town stood carved into a stone wall, a large table in front of it with four tall candles burning brightly. Rose wiped a small, white rag around the table to clean the table, her mind seeming to be somewhere else while her body performed the mundane task.

"So, if you pray and polish the altar enough times, someone who's dead will be brought back to life?" Edward asked, suddenly sitting in a church pew behind her with his legs crossed and his arms draped over the back of the pew. Rose tensed slightly at the sound of his voice, which echoed slightly through the large church. She soon relaxed, however, and turned around cheerfully while wearing a fake smile.

"Something like that." She said, her happiness as genuine as her smile. Edward scowled slightly, then sighed an exasperated and almost sarcastic sigh. He took out a small brown book from inside his coat and held it up so he could see the writing inside of it.

"Water: 35 Liters. Carbon: 20 kilograms. Ammonia: 4 Liters. Lime: 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorus: 800 grams. Salt: 250 grams. Saltpeter: 100 grams. Sulfur: 80 grams. Fluorine: 7.5. Iron: 5. Silicone: 3 grams, and trace amounts of fifteen other elements." Rose looked at Edward, her eyes filled with confusion.

"What's that?" She asked, almost guarding herself as if she knew what Edward was going to tell her.

"It's all the ingredients of the average adult human body. Down to the last specks of protein in your eyelashes." He slammed his book shut with his fingers, closing his eyes as if deep in thought. "And even though science has given us the entire physical breakdown, there's never been a successful attempt at bringing a human to life." He leaned forward in his seat. "There's still something missing. Something scientists haven't been able to find in centuries of research. So what makes you think that hack job priest with his parlor tricks is gonna be able to?" He smirked slightly, knowing his evidence couldn't be refuted. Rose scowled at him angrily. "And in case you're wondering, all those ingredients can be bought on a child's allowance." Rose's scowl deepened, his words obviously striking a nerve. "Humans can be built on the cheap. There's no magic to it."

"Well if there's no magic, then _you_ bring someone back to life!" Rose snapped, her outburst futile to Edward, who merely smiled.

"Just a matter of time, Rose. Science will find a way." He said smugly as he rose from his seat. "Science is the answer to everything." He made his way up to her. "If I were you, I'd drop the scriptures and pick up an alchemy book." He gazed up at the face of the carved god, his hands in his pockets. "We're the closest things to gods there are."

"You're not a god. You're nothing close to it." Rose said bitterly.

"And neither is the sun. It's just a mass of hydrogen. Get close to it like Cornello claims, and all you'll do is burn up." He countered, making Rose scowl once more. Alphonse peeked out at them from a nearby room, sheltering Mimi from any possible danger as he squatted behind her.

"Great Ed. Push your total cynicism on someone else." Mimi watched them silently but agreed with what Alphonse said in the back of her mind. The two heard a gun click from behind them.

"Don't worry, Elric. Your brother will join you soon." Cray said as he held a small handgun to the back of Alphonse's helmet. Mimi tried to say something but Alphonse put his hand over her mouth to silence her as he slowly stood up, hiding her from Cray. The gun fired, sending Alphonse's helmet flying forward and banging against the altar. Mimi's eyes widened, as if time itself slowed down while she stared at his helmet. Alphonse fell to the ground lifelessly, making her eyes fill with tears as she lay under him on her stomach. Rose gasped as Cray stepped out into the open, Edward's face contorted into a scowl. Not long after he was shot, however, Mimi felt Alphonse's body twitch on top of her.

"What…?" Mimi murmured to herself, thinking she was dreaming. Alphonse held up his hand to where his jagged mouth would be.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. It's okay now though, I'm not dead." He whispered, his voice sincere.

"So that's why you don't run out of breath when you run, or how you're never hungry." Mimi put the pieces of the puzzle together in her head. "And why I couldn't help Ed empty your armor." Alphonse grew remorseful.

"Yeah. Brother doesn't let me tell people, but…" Mimi blinked.

"But what?" She asked.

"N-Nothing." He stammered. "Just know I'm alive, okay?" He said sweetly as he stood up. "I don't like lying to you." He said quietly, making Mimi suppress a blush. Cray stepped towards Edward menacingly.

"Cray! What're you doing?!" Rose exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

"These two are enemies of God. This is His will, Rose, not mine." Rose now stood off to the side, Edward now facing Cray's gun head on.

"I don't think so, Mister." Alphonse said as he stood behind Cray, who back away angrily. Edward sprung to life while Cray was distracted and kicked up Alphonse's helmet. He grinned broadly and flung the helmet at Cray, easily knocking him out and letting him topple to the ground.

"I got it, I got it!" Alphonse exclaimed as he held out his hands eagerly to catch his helmet. Mimi slowly got up and managed a quiet giggle.

"Strike!" Edward stood akimbo while facing Alphonse and Mimi. Rose emitted a muffled scream, her hands clasped and over her mouth and her eyes still wide. Her body trembled, along with her voice.

"He doesn't have a head!" She gaped. Edward's grin only widened sheepishly.

"Yeah, that's Al!" Edward laughed.

"Please don't be scared Rose, this is how I am!" Alphonse faced her, his armor containing nothing but blackness.

"You're not there!" Rose continued to tremble fearfully, her mind trying to process Alphonse's physical state.

"It's true." Alphonse affirmed as he placed his helmet back in its rightful place. "I don't have a body. But I'm here. This is my punishment for setting foot on holy ground where mortals are forbidden." Mimi watched as Edward grew distant, his eyes gazing at the floor. "We made a mistake, Rose. And we're paying for it." Mimi looked at Alphonse for a moment, accepting him for how he is. Rose's eyes only widened more as she pulled her hands away and screamed, turning around to run away.

"Rose, wait!" Edward shouted after her. Rose was already far from them, however, moving quickly down a set of stairs.

"Cray was right, they _are _evil!" Rose thought to herself, catching her breath as she ran. "What have I done? They made me doubt you, Cornello! Forgive me. Please." She resented herself for believing in them for even a moment.

Edward, Alphonse, and Mimi soon found themselves in the catacombs of the church where Rose ran off to, the contents of the room shrouded in darkness.

"I can't see a church social down here, can you?" Edward asked the two coyly, Alphonse looming behind him and Mimi peeking out from behind Alphonse nervously. The room was soon lit by two candles that hung on the wall, Rose standing in between them with her hands clasped.

"There she is!" Edward exclaimed, his voice echoing slightly in the spacious room. He soon grew tense when he saw Cornello making his way over to Rose from a staircase.

"You've wrestled with the darkness and prevailed, Rose. Thank you for bringing them here. The rest of the room was soon illuminated by an aisle of lanterns that led to the trio, Edward growling slightly under his breath. Cornello, now next to an unsure Rose, faced them all.

"State Alchemists, brutal in forces. I had a feeling one of you would show up someday." Cornello said, his smiling face contradicting his hateful tone of voice.

"Well let's not chalk that up to pious premonitions, okay?" Edward shouted, his hand back on his hip. "You knew we'd come for the stone!" Cornello opened one eye and grinned slightly, his iris being a faded purple hue. He lifted up his hand, showing off the bright red gemstone in his ring.

"You mean this, young man?" He asked, making Edward grow serious for a moment, then break out into a determined grin.

"I knew it. Alchemy without a transmutation circle. Completely ignoring the principle of Equivalent Exchange! It could only mean one thing!" Edward raised his voice passionately, now knowing the magic behind the priest's tricks.

"Yes, the Mythical Gem. The Legendary Amplifier. The Philosopher's Stone." Cornello smirked.

"The Philosopher's Stone. Why does that name feel so familiar…?" Mimi whispered to herself.

"That's it Al, it's ours." Edward said lustfully, his eyes fixed onto the ring. He soon reverted back to his almost suave self and flaunted his gloved hand. "Cough it up, Cornello! That stone belongs to me now, and if you hand it over peacefully I won't tell the people here what you've been doing!" He waved his hand towards himself, beckoning for Cornello to forfeit the stone. Cornello's grin only grew.

"What's that, restoring their town to peace and prosperity?" Cornello asked coyly. "You know what would happen if my miraculous wonders suddenly stopped, _nobody_ wants that." He grinned smugly making Edward's confidence melt into an angered glare. Cornello looked over at Rose, his smirk never fading. "Do they, Rose?" Rose stared at them all wide eyed, not sure of what to think.

"Don't listen to him Rose he's just a con man!" Edward shouted angrily.

"Nonsense." Cornello said coolly. "Would a con man restore life to a dying town? When I arrived this town was full of strife and I brought peace." He raised his hand slightly to elaborate. "They came to me with parched throats and I created water." His grin grew dangerously wide. "I built buildings for them and even gave them money." He tilted his head down, dark shadows now dominating his face making him appear almost crazed. "They believed that heaven had forsaken them, but I gave them hope and became their prophet." The shadows grew as his pale eyes opened, his voice slowing and deepening. "Why does the military want to destroy all this?" He asked innocently, despite looking like a psychopath.

"I don't care what the military wants, I'm here for me!" Edward's voice rose as he gestured to the side.

"What?" Cornello asked.

"I need that stone. _We_ need it to make something right again!" Edward countered, making Rose's eyes grow wider than before.

"So _that's _it!" She exclaimed, her hands now pressed on top of the stone railing she stood behind. "This is all about _you_ and what _you _want, what about us? You don't care!" She shouted, her voice trembling with outrage.

"Rose, we're only trying to-" Alphonse began as he stepped forward, but was soon blocked by his brother.

"It's no use." Edward said bitterly. Rose whimpered quietly and looked down.

"Enough." Cornello spoke up, showing off his ring once again. "There is no point in arguing! If you want the Philosopher's Stone, you'll have to take it from me!" His ring surrounded itself with the pinkish light from before, soon spreading across the floor and turning it into sand. Edward grabbed Mimi and jumped out of the way while Alphonse was carried away by it, squeaking slightly in surprise and holding out his arm for help.

"Al!" Edward shouted in sync with Mimi.

"Ed!" Alphonse shouted back, his armor being swept away by the sand. Edward landed safely to the side with Mimi, who jumped out of his arms and rushed over to Alphonse.

"Hold on!" Edward reassured him, then growled slightly at Cornello who chuckled at their plight.

"Armor is a disadvantage in soft sand! You can't draw transmutation circles in it either!" Edward scowled at him warily making Cornello's grin widen. Mimi tried desperately to dig Alphonse out of the sand, to no avail.

"Let me introduce you to one of my creations." He said as he pushed a switch in the brick wall behind him. Chains started to rattle from a location they couldn't pinpoint, echoing throughout the room ominously. "You of all people should appreciate this: a chimera!" Two red orbs glowed eerily in the shadows, then what seemed to be a lion stepped out. Edward turned his head slightly to see it, then grew even more serious than before.

"You combined animals, the most depraved alchemy there is." Edward said, his voice filled with disgust.

"Maybe so, but most effective!" Cornello shouted causing the chimera to roar, its snake like tail now visible. It lurched forward and sprinted towards Edward, who merely closed his eyes and smirked ever so slightly. He faced the chimera boldly as it approached him.

"Alright big fella, wanna play?" Edward lifted his hands slightly. "Let's go for it!" He shouted as he clapped his hands together. His hands were soon pressed onto the sand, causing blue lightning to spark around him. The back of his coat flew up and applauded his back, the sand forming a small crater as he pulled out what seemed like a handle of a weapon. He stood up fully, his palm against the end of a spear with numerous ornate golden designs, the tip that of a sword. His coat billowed around him. Cornello grew nervous and began to sweat.

"H-H-How did you do that without a transmutation circle?!" He exclaimed, stuttering profusely. The chimera leaped into the air, but was greeted by Edward's spear and subsequently flung to the side, tumbling across the sand. Cornello grasped the green bird that sat perched on his shoulder. "Bring me his head, my pet!" He bellowed as he flung the bird. It glided across the air benevolently until Cornello lifted up his hand once more, his ring sparking. The bird was soon enveloped in red light, growing two, three, four times its original size. Edward readied his spear and met the bird, its talons landing on the handle and snapping the spear in half. The bird screeched. Edward gasped slightly and stumbled back, but not before the bird gripped his left leg in its sharp talons. Edward shouted out in pain making Rose panic. Cornello laughed triumphantly. "Now snap it!" He ordered. Edward grinned smugly.

"Wrong leg, pal!" He exclaimed, his pant leg tearing and exposing what looked like metal. He kicked the bird off of him and freed his leg. "And here's the right arm!" He reeled back and let his fist bore into the bird's cheek, sending it crashing into the sand. Cornello stared at Edward, dumbstruck while Edward merely smirked. A familiar roar rose from the shadows as the chimera bolted towards Edward. He screamed, making Cornello sneer and Rose avert her gaze. Mimi, unable to look, buried her face in Alphonse's chest plate. Alphonse looked down and wrapped his arm around her comfortingly.

"Don't worry, Brother's full of surprises." He reassured her, not a hint of worry in his voice. Mimi looked up and over at Edward, who was holding up his arm as the chimera continuously bit it.

"What's the matter, you poor bastard? Can't get a good taste?" Edward murmured, the chimera trying to sink its teeth into his arm but failing for some reason. He slowly lifted it up and flung it to the side, giving it a powerful kick in the process. Small pieces of red fabric from his coat flew off, both his pants and his coat now in shambles. The hooded figure from before, no longer covered by a cloak but still hidden in the shadows, watched everyone from afar. A short, chubby man watched with her, his white eyes gleaming from the darkness and a crazed grin taking up most of his hidden face.

"Mouthwatering. Eh, Gluttony?" The woman murmured sensually. Gluttony chuckled quietly to himself, a hint of drool dripping from his wide mouth. The chimera toppled to the ground, its reptilian rear end of its body facing the trio lifelessly.

"That's impossible!" Cornello shouted. "Those claws on your leg! The teeth on your arm!" He gawked at Edward, who stared at him fearlessly. "No one could survive that! Unless…" Cornello gaped, then clenched his jaw. "Your limbs! They're fake!" Edward continued to stare.

"Brilliant deduction." He affirmed sharply, his hand reaching over to his opposite shoulder. He gripped his coat and began to tear it, the metal underneath it becoming more visible. Rose gazed at him fearfully.

"Oh God…" She whispered to herself in horror. Mimi couldn't force herself to look away even if she tried, her curiosity growing with every passing second.

"Ed…" She murmured to herself worriedly. She then looked over at Alphonse, who was staring at nothing in particular. She could tell he was becoming distant.

"Don't look away Rose, you need to see what happens when you try to bring a human to life!" Edward continued to tear, the metal now shining brightly. "When you cross into God's territory or whatever the hell it is!" He whipped off his coat, his voice rising. "Is this what you want?! _Look!_" He shouted. The room fell silent. Rose continued to tremble fearfully.

"His arm...his leg, they're machines!" She exclaimed to herself.

"I see. Now I understand you, Elric. You crossed the line." Cornello began. "You did what was strictly forbidden." Edward stood before them all, his artificial arm and leg now visible. While his knee only showed through his leg, his arm was completely in view. It was composed of numerous metal parts and had a surprising amount of detail, right down to the small fingers and knuckles on his hand. It reached and took up a majority of his shoulder, a couple scars stretching from the end of the arm. Its metal plating looked indestructible. "You tried to create human life and your bodies were taken to the other side." Rose gasped quietly.

"Told you, Rose." Edward said seriously. "Get too close to the sun, and you'll burn." Mimi lightly placed her hand on her chest.

"Apparently so, but _you_ were crazy enough to find out for yourself!" Cornello shouted while gritting his teeth, not fazing Edward in the slightest. Cornello continued to bellow when he realized. "You are the Fullmetal! The Fullmetal Alchemist!"


End file.
